1. Field of the Invention
This invention relates to management of caching data stored by a data searching unit of a client, when the client refers to data in a server by using the data searching unit.
Particularly, this invention relates to management of the caching data stored in the client by a WWW (World Wide Web) browser, when the client has accessed a WWW server.
2. Description of the Related Art
FIG. 5 illustrates management of caching data stored by a WWW browser according to the related art.
In FIG. 5, the caching data are data stored in the client temporarily, when the WWW browser has accessed a WWW server. A WWW server P 81 provides service of transmitting and sharing data, and a WWW server Q 82 provides service of transmitting and sharing data. A client 83 is a terminal or program for requesting the service of transmitting and sharing data. The WWW server P 81 and the WWW server Q 82 are connected to the client 83 through a network 84.
In FIG. 5, a WWW browser P 85 receives transmission data from the WWW server P 81 and WWW server Q 82 by requesting service. A WWW browser Q 86 receives transmission data from the WWW server P 81 and WWW server Q 82 by requesting service. When the WWW browser P 85 receives the transmission data from the WWW server P 81, the WWW browser P 85 stores caching data 87. When the WWW browser P 85 receives the transmission data from the WWW server Q 82, the WWW browser P 85 stores caching data 88. When the WWW browser Q 86 receives the transmission data from the WWW server P 81, the WWW browser Q 86 stores caching data 89. When the WWW browser Q 86 receives the transmission data from the WWW server Q 82, the WWW browser Q 82 stores caching data 90.
Operations are explained.
When the client 83 requests service to the WWW server P 81 by using the WWW browser P 85, the WWW browser P 85 receives transmitted data from the WWW server P 81, and stores the caching data 87.
When the client 83 requests service to the WWW server Q 82 by using the WWW browser P 85, the WWW browser P 85 receives transmitted data from the WWW server Q 82, and stores the caching data 88.
Similarly, when the client 83 requests service to the WWW server P 81 by using the WWW browser Q 86, the WWW browser Q 86 receives transmitted data from the WWW server P 81, and stores the caching data 89.
When the client 83 requests service to the WWW server Q 82 by using the WWW browser Q 86, the WWW browser Q 86 receives transmitted data from the WWW server Q 82, and stores the caching data 90.
In this way, the caching data are stored in the client 83.
When the client 83 wants to delete the stored caching data 87 and 88, the client 83 must delete the data by the WWW browser 85. Therefore, the client must raise the WWW browser P 85 and use a delete function of the browser.
Similarly, when the client 83 wants to delete the caching data 89 and 90, the client 83 must raise the WWW browser Q 86 and use a delete function of the browser.
When the client wants to delete only the caching data 87, the client cannot use the delete function of the WWW browser P 85. Therefore, the client must follow a directory of the caching data stored by the WWW browser P 85 and select files, which are assumed to be stored at the time of receipt of the transmitted data from the WWW server P 81. Then, the client specifies the files explicitly and deletes the caching data 87 manually without using the delete function of the browser.
Similarly, when the client wants to delete only the caching data 88, the client specifies files explicitly and deletes the caching data 88 manually.
When the client wants to delete only the caching data 89, the client cannot use the function of the WWW browser Q 86. Therefore, the client must follow a directory of the caching data stored by the WWW browser Q 86 and select files, which are assumed to be stored at the time of receipt of the transmitted data from the WWW server P 81. Then, the client specifies the files explicitly and deletes the caching data 89 manually without using the delete function of the browser.
Similarly, when the client wants to delete only the caching data 90, the client specifies files explicitly and deletes the caching data 90 manually.
As stated, according to the related art, the caching data stored by the WWW browser P85 or Q 86 had to be managed by the WWW browser P 85 or Q 86.
Therefore, the WWW browser P 85 had to be raised to delete the caching data 87 and 88, and the WWW browser Q 86 had to be raised to delete the caching data 89 and 90. That was time-consuming.
Besides, when all the caching data 87, 88, 89 and 90 stored by the WWW browsers P 85 and Q 86 became useless, it was impossible to delete all of them in a batch process.
Further, some WWW browsers do not have a function to suppress storing the caching data. When such a browser was used, the caching data were stored by the WWW browser, even if it was not necessary to store the caching data, and the client of the WWW browser had to delete the stored caching data manually.
Further, when the client used a plurality of WWW servers, the WWW browser didn""t manage when the caching data were stored, i.e., from which WWW server the transmitted data were received and the caching data were stored. Therefore, when the client wanted to delete the caching data from a particular WWW server, a delete operation was complicated and time-consuming. Besides, the delete operation could be only performed after accessing the WWW server.
Further, it was impossible to manage storing periods of the caching data in the WWW browsers by the WWW browsers.
Further, it was impossible to set the WWW browser to store only the caching data from a particular WWW server, e.g., to store the caching data from the WWW server P 81 and not to store the caching data from the WWW server Q 82.
Further, the WWW browser could not manage suppression of storing the caching data with a particular data type.
Further, the WWW browser could not manage to suppression of storing the caching data exceeding a particular data size.
Furthermore, the WWW browser could not manage to move the caching data with a particular data type to another designated location and store them at the location.
This invention intends to solve the above-stated problems. This invention aims at providing a data processing apparatus for managing caching data by using a caching data managing unit between a data searching unit and a server in which data are searched, i.e., a data-source server. Particularly, this invention aims at managing the caching data by providing the caching data managing unit between a WWW server and a WWW browser in a proxy setting.
This invention also aims at enabling the data searching unit to perform a batch processing, deleting the stored caching data.
This invention also aims at always deleting the caching data automatically when a data searching unit cannot suppress storing the caching data.
This invention also aims at identifying the data-source server, from which the caching data are received, and storing the identification data.
This invention also aims at providing the storing period of the caching data in the data searching unit and deleting the caching data after the provided storing period.
This invention also aims at managing storage the caching data 87 stored by a particular data searching unit and not storing the caching data stored by other data searching units.
This invention also aims at managing the data searching unit to suppress storing only the caching data with a data type predetermined by the client.
This invention also aims at managing the data searching unit to suppress storing of the caching data exceeding a data size predetermined by the client.
This invention also aims at enabling the data searching unit to manage moving of the caching data with a data type predetermined by the client to another designated location and store the caching data.
According to one aspect of this invention, a data management apparatus includes a searched data memory for storing searched data, a data searching unit for searching data and storing the searched data as caching data in the searched data memory, and a caching data managing unit for controlling a storing amount of the caching data in the searched data memory.
According to another aspect of this invention, the caching data managing unit in the data management apparatus includes a caching data deleting unit for deleting the caching data stored in the searched data memory.
According to another aspect of this invention, the caching data managing unit in the data management apparatus includes a caching data suppress-storing unit for suppressing storing particular caching data.
According to another aspect of this invention, the caching data managing unit in the data management apparatus includes a caching data moving unit for moving predetermined caching data to a predetermined location.
According to another aspect of this invention, a data management method includes a searched data memory for storing searched data, and includes the steps of searching data and storing the searched data as caching data in the searched data memory, and controlling a storing amount of the caching data stored in the searched data memory.
Further features and applications of the present invention will become apparent from the detailed description given hereinafter. However, it should be understood that the detailed description and specific examples, while indicating preferred embodiments of the invention, are given by way of illustration only, since various changes and modifications within the spirit and scope of the invention will become apparent to those skilled in the art from this detailed description.
Other objects features, and advantages of the invention will be apparent from the following description when taken in conjunction with the accompany drawings.